Paper Mache Snowman Craft Instructions

Ready to build your paper mache snowman craft? Start by filling three plastic grocery bags with shredded paper from a paper shredder. One should be about the size of a hard ball. This will be for the head. Make the middle ball slightly bigger and the bottom one a bit bigger than that. Close up with masking tape.

Do three layers of paper mache on each ball. Make sure to flatten the underside of the bottom ball enough so it will sit, without rolling around.

After drying, cut a hole in the bottom of the small and medium sized balls. Remove the shredded paper from inside. Leave the paper in the bottom ball to help weight down the paper mache snowman. This will help keep it from tipping over when it is completed.

Glue the balls together, with hot glue. Do three to four more layers of paper mache but only when the first layers you have done are completely dry. Don't rush the drying process.

Make sure you paper mache the next layers well, including where the balls connect together.

After drying completely, check for thin spots on the snowman craft. If it doesn't feel strong enough, add more layers.

Measure around the head with a piece of string. This is to determine how big around the hat should be. The hat should sit down only a little ways on the head. Not too far down, but not perched completely on the top of his head either.

Cut a piece of cereal box board 3 inches wide and the measurement from around the snowman head, plus an inch. Curve the cardboard into a circle, overlap an inch and hot glue.

Now sit this on the cereal box and draw around the edge to make a circle. Do this twice. One will be for the top of the hat.

Usually the one that you cut out from the inside of the brim will get ruined. It is easier to cut out a separate one and use it for the top of the hat and discard the other one.

Mark out an inch width and draw a bigger circle all the way around the one small circle. This will be the brim of the hat.

Cut this out and then cut out the center circle from this. Cut out a circle for the top of the hat.

Glue all the pieces together. Paper mache with 3 layers.

When the hat is dry, paint with black paint. Leave a spot unpainted where the hat will glue to the head. Leave a small spot unpainted where any embellishments will be placed on the hat. When the paint is dry, add these. I used a small piece of plastic holly and a plastic snowflake.

Use a gold or silver ink pad and wipe the edges and top of the hat. (Thanks Kelly for this idea.)

For the nose of the paper mache snowman craft, roll a piece of newspaper into a small cone shape and tape with masking tape.

Paper mache 3 layers over this. Cut the end to get the length of nose you want. (about 2.5 inches)

When this is dry, paint with orange paint. Leave the end (about a quarter inch) unpainted where it will go into the snowman face.

Mark small circles where buttons will be placed on the snowman. Mark where the hat will be glued to the head. (Oops.. I forgot about the head when I did mine). Leave these spots unpainted. Glue adheres better to unpainted areas.

Poke a hole with a knife. Make it big enough for the nose to fit in. Don't put it in now. Wait until after all the painting is done. (except for the antiquing.)

Hopefully your paper mache snowman is sitting nicely. If it isn't, try sanding the bottom of it to help it sit properly.

Paint the snowman with two coats of white craft paint. When the paint is dry, glue the nose in place.

Add the buttons, two for the eyes and three down the front. Instead of buttons for the eyes, I used a small styrofoam ball cut in half, painted black.

If you would like to antique the look of your snowman craft, add a small amount of water to brown paint and apply.

He looks like he fell in a mud puddle, doesn't he? With a damp cloth wipe some of the brown off.

If it looks too dark, let it dry and then add white over top, using a pouncing paint technique.

You can add a little sparkle if you like, by painting on watered down white glue and sprinkling on white glitter.

Attach the hat to the top of the head.

Poke small holes in the sides of the snowman where you want the arms to be. Add the stick arms.